Exodus 1:15-21

New King James Version

¹⁵Then the king of Egypt spoke to the ^(A)Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; ¹⁶and he said, “When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a ^(B)son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” ¹⁷But the midwives ^(C)feared God, and did not do ^(D)as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive. ¹⁸So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?”

¹⁹And ^(E)the midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they ^[a]are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them.”

²⁰^(F)Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and ^[b]grew very mighty. ²¹And so it was, because the midwives feared God, ^(G)that He ^[c]provided households for them.

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Footnotes

Exodus 1:19 have vigor of life, bear quickly, easily
Exodus 1:20 became very numerous
Exodus 1:21 gave them families

שמות 1:15-21

The Westminster Leningrad Codex

¹⁵וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֖ת הָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֑ת אֲשֶׁ֨ר שֵׁ֤ם הָֽאַחַת֙ שִׁפְרָ֔ה וְשֵׁ֥ם הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית פּוּעָֽה׃

¹⁶וַיֹּ֗אמֶר בְּיַלֶּדְכֶן֙ אֶת־הָֽעִבְרִיּ֔וֹת וּרְאִיתֶ֖ן עַל־הָאָבְנָ֑יִם אִם־בֵּ֥ן הוּא֙ וַהֲמִתֶּ֣ן אֹת֔וֹ וְאִם־בַּ֥ת הִ֖יא וָחָֽיָה׃

¹⁷וַתִּירֶ֤אןָ הַֽמְיַלְּדֹת֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים וְלֹ֣א עָשׂ֔וּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר דִּבֶּ֥ר אֲלֵיהֶ֖ן מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם וַתְּחַיֶּ֖יןָ אֶת־הַיְלָדִֽים׃

¹⁸וַיִּקְרָ֤א מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֔ת וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֔ן מַדּ֥וּעַ עֲשִׂיתֶ֖ן הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה וַתְּחַיֶּ֖יןָ אֶת־הַיְלָדִֽים׃

¹⁹וַתֹּאמַ֤רְןָ הַֽמְיַלְּדֹת֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֔ה כִּ֣י לֹ֧א כַנָּשִׁ֛ים הַמִּצְרִיֹּ֖ת הָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֑ת כִּֽי־חָי֣וֹת הֵ֔נָּה בְּטֶ֨רֶם תָּב֧וֹא אֲלֵהֶ֛ן הַמְיַלֶּ֖דֶת וְיָלָֽדוּ׃

²⁰וַיֵּ֥יטֶב אֱלֹהִ֖ים לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֑ת וַיִּ֧רֶב הָעָ֛ם וַיַּֽעַצְמ֖וּ מְאֹֽד׃

²¹וַיְהִ֕י כִּֽי־יָֽרְא֥וּ הַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֖ת אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיַּ֥עַשׂ לָהֶ֖ם בָּתִּֽים׃

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Exodus 1:15-21

Young's Literal Translation

¹⁵And the king of Egypt speaketh to the midwives, the Hebrewesses, (of whom the name of the one [is] Shiphrah, and the name of the second Puah),

¹⁶and saith, `When ye cause the Hebrew women to bear, and have looked on the children; if it [is] a son -- then ye have put him to death; and if it [is] a daughter -- then she hath lived.'

¹⁷And the midwives fear God, and have not done as the king of Egypt hath spoken unto them, and keep the lads alive;

¹⁸and the king of Egypt calleth for the midwives, and saith to them, `Wherefore have ye done this thing, and keep the lads alive?'

¹⁹And the midwives say unto Pharaoh, `Because the Hebrew women [are] not as the Egyptian women, for they [are] lively; before the midwife cometh in unto them -- they have borne!'

²⁰And God doth good to the midwives, and the people multiply, and are very mighty;

²¹and it cometh to pass, because the midwives have feared God, that He maketh for them households;

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Exodus 1:15-21

New American Standard Bible

¹⁵Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom ^[a]was named Shiphrah, and the other ^[b]was named Puah; ¹⁶and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, ^(A)if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” ¹⁷But the midwives ^[c]^(B)feared God, and ^(C)did not do as the king of Egypt had ^[d]commanded them, but let the boys live. ¹⁸So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?” ¹⁹The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife ^[e]can get to them.” ²⁰So ^(D)God was good to the midwives, and ^(E)the people multiplied, and became very ^[f]mighty. ²¹And because the midwives ^[g]^(F)feared God, He ^[h]^(G)established ^[i]households for them.